


Six Years Prior

by 42xx00



Category: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff without Plot, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Pre-Canon, Space Gays, Tags Are Hard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 12:24:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19229089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/42xx00/pseuds/42xx00
Summary: so basicallycollege au





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't alive during the 70's, so I'm apologising in advance for any historical inaccuracies.
> 
> edit: i changed it a bit in the beginning but the plot is still the same

After walking past the vending machine, Arthur took a good hard look at his new dorm room. He dropped his suitcase on the floor with care. The light struggled to stay on and flickered. The only other source of light was the sunshine that the curtains couldn’t stop. Small rays of dust shone below the windows. Arthur recalled that the Japanese had a word for this. 'Komorebi' was the interplay between light and leaves when sunlight shines through trees. But it also had another meaning. Melancholy, longing for something or someone very far away. Arthur longed for his childhood, which now felt very distant. Arthur saw that there were two beds in the room. He tapped his bed, and dust flew out of the mattress. He coughed and noticed a satchel on the other bed. His roommate must have claimed that bed already. Arthur noticed that different space-themed pins and patches covered it. He took a good look at them. One of the pins had a pretty gradient that went from hot pink to blue. Arthur wondered what it meant. Next to it was a patch of a UFO, with the text ‘far from home.’ So my roommates some kind of a geek guy, he thought to himself. The bag had piqued his curiosity. He traced the handle with his finger. As he was about to open it, he heard someone open the door.

"Hey! What are you doing with my bag?" A man with ginger hair strode into the room towards Arthur, or more specifically the bag.

"Uhm," he managed. He sat down on his bed and looked down at the floor, partly in shame but more so to avoid eye contact. The man picked up his bag and threw it onto his shoulder in a way that made it seem like throwing a bag onto your shoulder was an art.

"How would you like it if I messed with your stuff?” He sounded annoyed and grumpy. He brushed the dust off the side of his trench coat. Ford fixated on Arthur with his pale blue eyes and he knitted his eyebrows. Arthur looked at him in a puzzled manner.

“Hey, haven't we met before?" The man’s gaze relaxed and he looked away, but still clung onto his bag with irritation.

"Right. You're the guy that saved me from getting run over by a car." They had met before, but only once. Last spring, when Arthur hadn’t graduated yet, he saw a man standing on the street with a bouquet of flowers. Before a car could hit him Arthur ran up to him and pushed him away, and they toppled to the side of the pavement. The man stood up and patted his dishevelled clothes. He thanked Arthur for his help and went off, without getting killed. Arthur wondered if the man was mentally ill or suicidal. This had remained a mystery to him and would remain a mystery to him for another couple of years.

"That kind of makes up for it, doesn't it?" Arthur fidgeted with the edge of his collar. Does it make up for it? He questioned his line of logic and stood up.

"Help me unpack and you'll be sure to make up for it. Maybe I'll even think of forgiving you." Arthur laughed at this, but he couldn’t tell if the man was joking or not. The man left the room and came back with two cardboard boxes. 

"We're roommates, right?" The short man rolled his eyes and put the boxes on the floor.

"I suppose we are." The man started taking out his belongings and arranging them on the floor, and Arthur did his best to be helpful. He noticed two lettered that covered the sides of the boxes. They were F, and P.

"So, F.P. are your initials. What's your name?" Arthur took out a mug, looked at it and put it aside. F.P. replied but didn't make any eye contact, and looked like he was muttering to himself.

"Ford Prefect." There was something off-putting about Ford, but Arthur couldn’t tell what it was. He sighed and laughed a little.

"Tragic. I'm Arthur." He wondered about the origin of Ford’s strange name.

"I don't get how it's tragic. Nice to meet you again, though.” This time Ford did look at Arthur before getting back two work. He noted that the reason that Ford seemed odd must’ve been partly because of his dismissal or ignorance of social cues. Ford’s belongings weren’t very different from Arthur’s. He had some clothes, notebooks and more stationery. He also had a folding screen for some reason, a small telescope. (Ford had decorated it with stickers.) Arthur took out a small foldable chair that Ford put beside the telescope. Arthur wondered how all this fitted into the two small boxes. He looked for something to put the mug on and noticed the lack of any useful furniture. 

“I just realised, none of us has a table or anything.” Ford was putting his clothes in the wardrobe. His clothes looked like he had picked out random clothes at the store, not even paying attention to how people gendered clothes. It mostly seemed like that to Arthur because it was true.

"We can buy a table together." He closed the wardrobe and glanced at Arthur. He quickly looked away.

"Alright, and what about a minifridge? We could put it there." Ford seemed to have spontaneously gained a random burst of energy out of thin air.

"We can get a normal fridge. Oh, and a tv as well!" He jabbered and flailed his arms around as he spoke. Arthur laughed at how excited Ford was.

"And where are we going to get the money for that? I don't know about you, but my parents don't really want to help out." He sighed, and his momentary joy was a little drained. Komorebi, he thought.

"Don't worry about it, I have a plan. Ford grinned in a way that was peculiar, to say the least, and left the room with no warning or explanation. Arthur wondered if Ford was going to steal the money.

Ford wasn’t a thief (well, not usually) but some called him a criminal. Recently, Ford had started a bad habit of breaking the law of preservation of mass. When he was away from campus, he entered an abandoned storage house he had found a couple of weeks earlier. The metal doors cracked and complained as he forced them open. Ford’s eyes adjusted to the darkness and he sat down in the middle. He took off his satchel and pulled out a machine. This device, along with other similar objects, was the reason that Ford didn’t like showing people the contents of his bag. If the press would find out, scientists from all corners of the world would flock around him and never give him any peace. Ford shuddered at the thought and pulled out a small drawer out of the box. He placed a one pound coin into it and watched it attentively. 

“First attempt.” The only thing he could hear was his own voice and breath, and the distant din of the city. Then, the machine sounded out a series of whirrs and beeps, before it made a satisfying wrrrmmmpp sound. Ford quickly took the box and opened the drawer. As he had expected, he now had two pounds instead of one. Ford was happy, but not exactly satisfied. “I'm gonna need a bigger duplicator.”

Arthur had finished unpacking his things, and he put his suitcase in his wardrobe. He went into the hallway because he remembered seeing a vending machine there. As he reached for his granola bar, he felt Ford tapping on his shoulder.

"Are you ready to go buy stuff?" Ford held a series of fifty-pound notes in his hand. Arthur stared at them with googly eyes. In his mind, Ford was definitely a criminal.

"Where did you get the money?" 

"I'll tell you later. Let's go." Ford latched on to Arthur’s hand and dragged him out of the hallway.

Ford took them to a desolate, dusty thrift shop near campus. As he opened the door, he heard a soft twinkling from above. Ford eyed the door with great suspicion before stepping into the store. Ford went to talk to a worker, so Arthur fled the scene. He looked around at the merchandise. There were all kinds of things for sale. He looked at some sci-fi looking furniture. Then, at some old clothes that he guessed were from the 50s, quite incorrectly. 

“Arthur! Arthur, come look. What do you think,” Ford beamed, from across the building. He was standing next to a white table, and the worker was behind him, looking nervous.

“Well, I’m no expert on furniture, but it looks alright I guess.” The table seemed to be capable of doing anything a table should do. There were two drawers underneath it

“Let’s buy it then! Sir, do you do delivery?” Ford turned his head towards the worker. He seemed too young to have a full-time job, and his name tag indicated that his name Naël.

“Erm, yes, we do.” He fidgeted with his collar, a habit that Arthur was familiar with.

“In that case, deliver it to this address at 2 o'clock tomorrow.” Ford passed him a note with something written on it. Naël nodded politely.

“Yessir. That would be, uh, twelve pounds.” Ford took out his wallet, and Arthur looked at him.

“Erm, you’re paying?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it. Think of it as a kind of gift, if that makes you feel any better.” Arthur considered this. Ford was acting pretty strangely. I can’t judge him now, Arthur thought. I’ve only met him. I’ll get to know him a little, and then I’ll decide whether I like him or not.

They got smoothies soon after. Arthur asked for a strawberry smoothie. Ford got some unholy mix of a bunch of exotic fruits Arthur couldn’t name. Ford explained that it reminded him of his home. He said it jokingly, but he looked sad. Arthur sipped on his drink, and they walked down the streets, not going anywhere in particular.

“What do you think, should we get that fridge," Arthur asked. Ford looked at him. “Now that I think about it I’m not sure we need one.”

“Hmm, I suppose if we don’t have a fridge I’ll have nowhere to put my giggle water. But that’s not a bad thing! I should really, how do I put this, enhance my temperance? I don’t think that makes sense.” Arthur stopped in his tracks like something had flipped a switch in his mind.

“What?” If Arthur always looked confused, then he was a lot more confused than usual.

“Oh, so it doesn’t make sense,” Ford frowned. He looked at his smoothie before drinking it.

“No no I understand, it’s the “giggle water. I don’t think people have said that since the 20s.” Arthur wondered why it was so difficult to understand Ford. Ford wondered why Arthur was always so worried about small details.

“Okay. I’ll think about that next time.” Ford wondered if he would adapt his language for Arthur, maybe that would make him less anxious.

“Listen, erm, we have a lot of money left over. I mean, you do. It’s your money. But like, what are you gonna do with it?” Ford rolled his eyes and realised that it was Arthur’s own fault if he was always worried about nothing.

“I was gonna get something to drink for later but eh, I kind of want to see a movie with you. I’m also pretty hungry, whaddya think?”

“Erm, what?” Arthur went from every day confused to very confused to galaxy brain confused. Ford was getting a little tired of Arthur’s constant jabbering.

“Dinner?” Arthur started to walk again and thought about it.

“Starving. Sushi?” The bustling traffic was louder than usual. Rush hour, probably. But Ford paid little attention to time unless it was to announce at what times he didn’t care about time. He said that over and over in his head, wondering if it would make sense to say that to Arthur. Arthur, right. Ford looked at him

“Sure.” He kicked a pebble as he passed it.  
"It's on me, but you know that already," Ford said as they walked in. The first thing that struck Arthur was how red everything was. From the curtains to the pillows, a deep crimson colour covered the entire room. A smiling woman pointed to a table for two.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” Ford winked at her. She ignored Ford and waited for more customers to serve.

“Ford, I implore you, don’t flirt with the staff.” Arthur sat down and focused on the air above the candle that wobbled. Ford clicked his tongue in irritation.

“Don’t tell me what to do. It’s not my fault that she’s so pretty.” he picked up his menu and his eyes darted across the pages. “And it’s not like it’s any of your business who I’m attracted to.” Arthur flipped through the menu and paid little attention to Ford’s comments. 

"I'll take the dish with twelve pieces, but it's cheaper to share one with thirty-two. What do you think?” Ford nodded, and they ordered it. A man with large square frames brought them their dish, as well as water and miso soup that came along with it. Ford stared at the chopsticks. Arthur poured soya sauce into their bowls and laughed.

“Look, this is how you eat it. You hold one like you'd hold a pen, put another underneath and..” He picked up the sushi and ate it. He smiled at Ford who was watching him with close attention. “Why don't you give it a try?" Ford stretched the corners of his mouth apart, and he looked as if he was under pressure. He picked up his chopsticks and tried to follow Arthur’s vague instructions.

“Seems to work.. come on, first attempt..” He picked up a roll but he dropped it on the table. Shit! Ok, second try…” He led the salmon sushi to his mouth. He stared at the wall as he chewed. “This is good! Better than anything I’ve had in a while.” Arthur smiled. Because you’ve lived on instant noodles for the past couple of weeks, he thought.

"Glad you like it.“

The candle that stood on the table carefully illuminated the scene. The light played with Ford’s eyes with a mannerism that was, admittedly, very appealing to Arthur. He was at ease, and his breathing was steady and gentle. The only thing that showed any kind of anxiety in Arthur was his elevated pulse. As well as his low and choked voice, the beads of sweat on his forehead and of course the anxiety itself. A chaotic spectacle that he was always part of, rather than the other way around. Ford took a bite out of a piece of sushi and broke two unspoken rules. The first being that you should always eat an entire bit of sushi. You should never attempt to bite it in half to postpone its consumption. The second rule was something westerners had no excuse not to be familiar with. It was that one should never chew when their mouth is open. Although Ford was not a westerner, and he had a rather plausible excuse, it didn’t apply to him at this moment. He wasn’t going to tell Arthur about his origins yet, like many other things that he was hiding. Arthur was the one who was more aware of social cures out of the two, so he coughed and pointed at Ford. But this wasn’t enough for Ford, who looked awfully confused and paused his eating.

“Don’t chew with your mouth open,” Arthur scolded. “And don’t bite off pieces of your sushi.” Ford put his hand on his chest and pulled a face in a fake hurt action. He hadn’t mastered sarcasm yet, but he was getting there. Now his attention was further from the delicious taste of the raw fish in his dish, but rather drifting in the warm setting around him. He looked at Ford’s playful eyes with a mix of caution and wonder. Something was stopping Arthur from looking at Ford for too long, so he’d look away at the many other distracting things. For example the beautiful chandelier to his left, that glimmered and reflected the inadequate amount of light around it. Or the chattering host of guests at the restaurant. Their voices merged into one din, that was the only thing Arthur could hear beside himself and Ford. His smile was small, Arthur noticed, but it was there.

“I don’t know if this is how it usually how it is, but I thought I’d mention…” Ford put away his chopsticks. This was the moment that Arthur realised that Ford might've chapped his lips. They seemed to have some strange shimmer to them. “You look amazing." Arthur stopped eating. He spluttered, and a little louder than he had led himself to believe. He told himself that there was nothing weird about complimenting your newly found roommate. (Ford was capable of stranger things.) Arthur told himself to man up. He wanted to mock Ford for sounding so cheesy but decided that it was better not to.

“Erm.” He murmured. “Thank you. Nice of you.” He spluttered again, and this time it sounded more like a cough. Ford smiled to himself, unknowing of how uncomfortable he had made Arthur feel. They both picked up their chopsticks and kept eating. Like Ford’s eyes, the candle never flickered. When their plates and glasses were empty, they’ve had enough of the restaurant and decided to leave. Ford paid for himself, and for Arthur, as promised. He held the door open for Arthur.  
“Please, after you, dear.” Arthur smiled at him politely and did what he was told. They talked on their way back to campus.

When they were back in their room, Arthur thanked Ford for paying.

“Oh, no problem. What do people call these here, dates?" Ford obviously looked around as Arthur stared and gritted his teeth.

"No, not at all. A date is.. Admittedly kind of the same but between lovers." Ford looked at the floor.

"But if it's the same, why are the words different? I'd call this a date." Arthur didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or scream. He wen for the safest option, which was neither. He sighed and crossed his arms.

"Sure, call it what you want. But whatever you do, don't go around saying that we go on dates. That's kind of awkward. God, is everyone from Guildford so out of touch with reality or is it only you?" Ford smiled or tried to, and playfully glanced at Arthur. Ford put his hand on Arthur’s shoulder.

"Dates, in plural? Are you implying there'll be more than one?" Arthur brushed off Ford’s hand and laughed.

"Well, you got me there."

The next day, Arthur abruptly woke up when Ford shook him.  
“Wake up, Arthur!" He was grinning like a madman, and was already fully dressed, wearing his green trench coat. His blue eyes twinkled in twisted looking delight. Arthur groaned in pain, wanting to be fast asleep.

"I thought school started on Monday." Ford pushed him out of bed.

"It does, dummy. We're gonna go eat breakfast." Arthur put on his bathrobe and went to the window. He looked through the curtains, only to see the lack of light outside.

"Oh, come on. It must be like seven or eight. Aren't you tired?" Arthur turned to look at Ford, who was radiating chaotic energy.

"Get a move on, we've got an entire day ahead of us." He put his hands in his pockets and impatiently bounced on the balls of his feet. Arthur stroked his fingers through his hair.

"Can you at least say where you're taking me?"

"What's the point, if you'll find out sooner or later." Ford watched Arthur walk around the room.

"How long have you been asleep?" To Ford's dismay, Arthur sat down on his bed again. Ford rushed to get him up again.

"I didn't." Arthur stared at him.

"What?" 

"I didn't sleep, I was busy. Go brush your teeth or something, I can smell your breath from here. It's not pretty, I'm telling you."

"Ok, ok, jeez." Arthur walked away from the bed, into the bathroom. When he brushed his teeth he quickly threw off his bathrobe.

"Heres your coat." Ford was standing in the hallway, offering Arthur help.

"I can't leave the house- well, dorm in my pyjamas?" Ford clicked his tongue and shook Arthur's coat, to indicate that it was time to put it on and leave.

"Why not?" Arthur gave up and took the coat out of Ford's hands.

"I'll manage thanks." Ford raised his eyebrows, and Arthur rolled his eyes in response. Telepathic clown to clown communication.

 

When they were outside, Arthur nagged Ford about how he was being taken somewhere against his will. He was unhappy about not knowing where they were going.  
"Alright, I'll give you a hint. They make sandwiches." Ford was nearly skipping down the road. 

"Ah well that narrows it down greatly doesn't it?" Arthur somehow managed to tag along, although he was trudging fairly slower than him. Ford slowed down his tempo and glanced at Arthur.

"No, it really doesn't. It's pretty vague, actually."

"I know that's- eh nevermind. How far is it?" Arthur squinted in the sun, wanting to sneeze but not being able to. The fact that he was anywhere but in bed was a fact that greatly upset him. Ford pointed to a restaurant looking place across the road. "Not very far. In fact, it's right there."

"Huh. I've never been there." They crossed the road and Arthur looked around with curiosity and a bit of hunger. Ford held the door open and Arthur walked in.

"I heard its brand new store." Ford tried to smile but ended up just stretching the corners of his mouth and showing off his carnivorous teeth. Arthur shuddered.

"That's good. I think." They sat down next to each other on a sofa. The restaurant was dimly lit, but it was bright enough to be able to read. A woman arrived and gave them their menus. Ford nodded, and Arthur crossed his arms

"Thank you, sweetheart!" The woman rolled her eyes and left. Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed a bit louder than needed.

"When you say these kinds of things, what do you think will happen?" Ford laughed but didn't smile.

"Bold of you to assume I think."

"They- what? What I'm trying to say is that they're probably tired of customers always trying to get in their pants. Just, be nice to them." Arthur held his face in his hands and looked at a family that had just arrived inside. It reminded him if his parents and he forced himself to think about something else. Ford raised his eyebrows and looked up from the menu.

"Were you saying something?"

"Yes! No! Ah, screw it." Ford shrugged and kept reading.

"Oki doki." Arthur squinted at him.

"Don't you oki doki me." Ford smiled, a little, but not much, more appropriately.

"Oki doki."

The same woman came again and took their orders.  
"A ham and cheese sandwich please, and two pints of beer," said Ford. Arthur frowned.

"I don't want beer this early in the morning." 

"I know, They're both mine.." Arthur laughed and reconsidered his order.

"Erm, just earl grey tea for me." Ford dropped the menu onto the table dramatically.

"What? No way. you're gonna be hungry all day. I won't let that happen," he wailed.

"Fine. A ham and cheese sandwich for me as well." Arthur stroked his knees in a soothing manner. All of this talking wasn't doing his nerves any good. Ford smiled and gave the menu to the waitress.

"That's more like it!" Arthur looked to his left and saw a window. He could see the dark clouds and guessed that it would start to rain soon. Ford looked to his right and saw Arthur. He turned to his left and caught Ford looking at him

"So, what subjects are you studying?" Arthur tried to not make eye contact as he spoke. Not that he usually didn't make eye contact with people, but looking into Ford's eyes was a frightening experience Arthur wasn't in the mood for. Ford scratched his nose.

"I'm majoring in business, and I'm also taking editing. Like, editing books," he said. For some reason, he spoke quietly. Arthur fiddled with his collar.

"Sounds complicated," he said, slowly. "I'm also taking business and fiction writing." Ford looked at Arthur again, and he looked back against his will.

"Really? What good will writing do you?" Arthur smiled but crossed his eyebrows.

"I don't know. I had to pick something, you know? But what good will editing do you?" Ford sighed.

"I ask myself the same thing every day and every night."

"Then why-" Ford waves his arms and beamed.

"Oop, our order!" A slightly round man put their food and drinks on the table.

"Thank you," said Arthur.

"Yep, thanks. Looks good, doesn't it?"Arthur nodded in agreement.

"Yeah." He looked outside the window and noticed that it started to rain. "Uh, I'm just saying this in advance, I think I'll pay for both of us to thank you, I guess." Ford didn't look up from the sandwich he was holding in his hands. He was concentrating on inspecting it.

"Oh, sure! Thanks." Arthur was a little disappointed that he was talking to a brick wall, but didn't mention it. He sighed.

"No problem. I should be thanking you." Ford decided that the ham and cheese sandwich was safe to eat, and took a satisfying chomp out of it. His eyes widened (which seemed impossible to Arthur, as they were wide enough already) and he smiled. Or did his equivalent of that.

"This sandwich is really good!" Arthur smiled, and anybody in his place would too. It was hard not to be happy around Ford. Arthur tried his sandwich too.

"Yeah, it's alright." Ford took a sip out of one of his beers.

"Didn't know your sandwich-making standards were so damn high." Arthur laughed.

"They're really not. I'm just not very hungry."


	2. New Friends

The walls were about to cave in, Arthur could feel it in his guts. He had a stifling pain somewhere in his head and his stomach was upset. The room smelled like chalk and old rubber, and the silence was unbearable. He was in class, and he was supposed to study.

"Turn to page thirty-four!" The fiction writing teacher was a small woman with a big attitude. She might've been around her thirties. Her name was Mrs Walters. Arthur groaned and flicked through his book. He couldn't hear a word of what Mrs Walter was saying. He looked at the multicoloured posters on the walls, and then at Ford. He waved at Arthur and grinned. Arthur waved back. He picked up and doodled Ford on the thirty-fourth page, next to the words call to adventure.

"How was class?" Ford was eating a peanut butter sandwich. (Arthur made sandwiches in the morning) Sometimes they would skip class to talk for a while. Ford skipped editing, and Arthur would skip writing. Arthur scratched his head and thought of what Ford said about his hair. Ford was right, Arthur's hair was soft.

"Well, I don't know. it was easy, I guess." Ford clenched his fist and cracked his knuckles.

"I thought it was difficult. To concentrate, I mean. The stuff we did was okay. I guess. Argh."

Arthur put the band-aid on his cheek on and off again. There were a few dewdrops on the grass. It had rained the night before. It was getting colder and colder as winter approached.

"Well, I see not much has changed on your side." As Arthur finished his sentence, Ford was laughing.

"Oh, you'd be surprised." He was tearing up. Arthur crossed his arms.

"Surprise me, then" Ford wasn't laughing, or smiling. It looked like he was done with a crying fit.

"No," he said. Arthur kept fidgeting with his plaster.

"Uh, okay." Ford ripped his second peanut butter sandwich in half.

"Want a half?"

"I told you, I'm not hungry. By piece you mean half. And it's not half if one part is bigger genius." Ford giggled and put both "halves" back into his satchel. He looked at Arthur and threw his arms around him. Arthur hugged him back. Despite that, his eyes were darting around and his brain was playing the windows startup sound. "Wait," Arthur said. "Why'd you hug me." Ford let go and started walking again as if nothing had happened.

"Because, one, I'm a great hugger, and two this was the perfect opportunity." Arthur laughed.

"Well, I'm not complaining. You are a great hugger." Ford stretched his arms apart.

"Then, let me hug you again." Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"Sure." Ford smiled and didn't hesitate to throw a hug. He moved from side to side as they hugged. Arthur noticed how warm Ford was, despite it being chilly. Arthur closed his eyes, and opened them again. Ford was playing with his hair.

"This isn't weird is it?" Said Ford. Arthur cleared his throat and broke the hug.

"Act like it isn't and it won't be." Ford rummaged for something in his bag and clicked his tongue when he didn't find it.

"Okay." Arthur looked at his hands. They were dry, dryer than his lips. On top of that, they were cold. He looked at Ford's hands.

"Ford, feel how cold my hands are." He took Arthur's hand and carefully felt it.

"Cold," he nodded. He held on to it for longer than he should have.

“Arthur! Arthur, why is everyone so excited about the moon landing?” Ford swung the door open and looked for Arthur. He had finished shaving and left the bathroom. He looked irritated, or perhaps “fed up” was a better description. Ford couldn’t tell.

“Did I hear that right? This is amazing, a scientific breakthrough! Are you high or have I never noticed that you’re this thick?” Arthur had a band-aid on his cheek. Ford crossed his arms and looked at the ground.

“But Arthur, it’s so… primitive? I wasn’t paying attention to what was going on, scientific-progress wise, and you... We’re only getting to the moon? I mean…” Arthur scratched his bandaid and stroked his hair. Ford’s behaviour was putting him off.

“So, erm, I suppose you don’t want to watch the moon landing with me?” Ford looked up at Arthur.

“I never said that. Of course, I’m gonna watch that with you. Fun fun fun.” Arthur guessed that Ford wasn’t being sarcastic since he was pretty bad at that. Arthur smiled.

“Well, you better hurry up. I heard that they’re taking off in half an hour. We can watch it at The Castle Inn.” Arthur sighed. Ford put his hands in his pockets and bounced on the balls of his feet.

“Got it, got it. Okay. Noted.”

The bar smelled like beer and bustled with the sound of conversation. Arthur and Ford sat next to each other with the TV in view. The commentator was going on about the Apollo 11 mission, and Arthur was paying attention to every word. “Oh Ford, isn’t this terribly exciting?” Ford was feasting on peanuts and appreciating the setting. For some reason, he liked bars.

“Yep.” He looked over at the TV with a bored expression. Arthur scratched his nose.

“You, erm. You don’t seem that excited.” Ford let out a long sigh and then smiled. I’m going to try that sarcasm thing, he thought.

“Trust me. My cold hard callus, exterior, this facade, a mask I put on for show does nothing to express the thrill that I am currently experiencing.” Arthur blinked repetitively.

“Was that sarcasm?” Ford laughed but didn’t smile.

“Yes, dear. That was my attempt at it.” Arthur nervously laughed.

“You erm, you’re getting good at it, aren’t you? It’s a bit much though. Could be better. But how are you not excited about blooming Apollo 11?” Ford wasn't listening, but heard something about "no." He sat straight up and slammed his fist on the table, making the barman raised his eyebrows as he cleaned a glass.

“You know what? I have my reasons. And they get a bit gritty nitty or whatever that lovely expression from the 60s is. It gets personal, is what I’m trying to say.” Arthur looked at the barman and waved in a kind of apology. The barman shrugged in response. Arthur looked at Ford, taking in what he had said.

“And you don’t trust me enough to tell me?” Ford rolled his eyes, a behaviour he had learned from Arthur.

“Oh don’t get all me me me. This isn’t about you, I… er..” He ate some more peanuts. “Well, yeah actually you’re right. I suppose there are some things I don’t trust you with, and might never.” Arthur smiled although he wasn’t amused in the slightest.

“What a bloody shame, now I’ll never know why you’re bored by the most amazing event in the goddamn century.” He frantically waved his hands about as he spoke. Ford ate more peanuts and blankly stared at the TV screen.

“Most amazing... Now that’s a bit much, isn’t it? Even in the vicinity of, well, this solar system have I seen cooler things. I don’t know, parties, pretty girls, Stonewall…” Arthur sighed.

“You sure sound like yourself. But what’s Stonewall?” Ford put a finger on his lips.

“Shhh, the commentator is saying something. You should be awfully excited,” he said, with emphasis on awfully.

“Ten! Nine!” The crowd roared, and a bead of sweat trickled down Arthur’s forehead. He wiped it off and gave in to the feeling of depersonalization creeping into his skull. His mind went blank as he listened to the commotion.

“Eight! Seven! Six! Five Four..” Ford ate more peanuts and patted Arthur’s back. The screen filled with smoke and he felt like he could smell it. The chattering of the crowd grew louder and louder, roaring over the sound of the solid rocket boosters. Despite himself, Ford smiled and put his hand on Arthur’s.

“Wow. What a sight. Huh? Let me guess, not something you see every day?” Arthur felt another drop of sweat, but couldn’t do anything about it. He didn’t dare move. His breath was frail and he was as still as he could be.

“Mm-hmm. Yeah.” Arthur wondered how red his face looked. Luckily the lighting was too dim to notice that he was blushing. Ford laughed and gripped Arthur’s hand.

“The noise, the people… A wholly remarkable experience.” Ford let go of Arthur’s hand and reached for the peanuts again.

“Remarkable… yep.” Arthur looked from side to side to see if anyone was looking at him. Ford noticed that Arthur seemed a bit aloof.

“You don’t seem as excited anymore.” An obvious statement, but nonetheless not a stupid remark

“Well, I suppose the rush kind of wore off,” Arthur shrugged. Ford put his hands on Arthur’s shoulders and put on his version of a serious face.

“That’s not what I mean. Come on, tell me what’s on your mind.”

“I’m great, excellent I insist.” Arthur did something that could only be described as apologetic jazz hands. Ford let go of Arthur’s shoulders and ate another peanut.

“Alright then, keep your secrets and I’ll keep mine.” Arthur huffed and ate a peanut as well. “Shut up, Arthur.” He blinked.

“But I didn’t say anything.”

“Well, you were going to. Don’t.” Ford was aware of the people around them, and they both felt terribly small.

Ford rolled off the floor in an action that could've been smooth if he wasn't slightly hungover. He rubbed his eyes and leaned against the wall for balance. Arthur glanced at him.

"Good morning," Ford managed. Arthur fidgeted with his pillowcase. He wondered if it was awkward to be shirtless around someone you don't know that well.

"Good morning. how come you're already awake?"

"Because I woke up," Ford groaned. He slumped down the wall and sat down.

"Well.. yeah. I kind of knew that ready. Why were you sleeping fully dressed, and on the floor at that?" Ford looked down at his clothes and confirmed that he wasn't in his pyjamas, but wearing jeans and a Hawaiian shirt.

"I was probably drunk. Do you have any better explanation?" He got up and sat next to Arthur. Just as Arthur began to speak, Ford stroked his fingers through Arthur's hair. "Also, your hair is really soft. Did you do something to it or was it always like this?" He patted Arthur's head, and he grabbed Ford's arm.

"Keep up this behaviour and I'll deck you." Ford laughed, because Arthur was as menacing as a chihuahua.

"Oh no. Whatever will I do." Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Ford opened it, and saw two strangers.

"Who are you?" They were a girl and a boy.

"We're your neighbours! Thought we'd say hello," said the girl. She was smiling and had her blonde hair up in a bun.

"Oh, okay." Ford looked down at the basket the girl was holding. "Why do you have muffins?" The girl giggled and the boy crossed his arms.

"They're for you! and your roommates, if you have any," he said.

"Arthur! Come." Arthur ran towards the door, only to see the others. He was more used to talking to people when he had a shirt on.

"Oh, hi. Erm." He turned around to go get a shirt.

"No dude it's fine, no judgement, said the boy." He had pretty olive skin and an eye patch that covered his left eye. Arthur vaguely gestured towards the room.

"Well. Do come in, I guess," he said. "There isn't much place to sit, I'm Afraid. The floor will have to do." The girl twirled her blonde locks.

"We're Polly and Obi. We live in room 234, right next to you." Arthur smiled, warm and genuine.

"Oh that's lovely, what classes do you take?" Obi sat down on the carpet and adjusted his eye patch.

"I take sculpting and photography. she takes history and photography." Ford and the rest joined in, and everyone was sitting around in a circle, like kids at play.

"Neat," said Ford. "We both have writing together, i do editing and he does… what was it that you do again, Art?" Arthur flinched.

"Business. and, don't call me art."

"Love ya too, dork," Ford sighed. Arthur glared at him.

"That isn't any better." Polly coughed.

"Well, that's great and all. But, I made these muffins for you, would you like to try them?" She showed them the basket she was carrying. There were a couple of muffins and cassette tapes underneath them. Arthur couldn't understand why, and then noticed that Obi was carrying a cassette player.

"Oh thank you so much," he said, as he picked up a muffin. Ford was looking out the window.

"Hmm. How about we go outside? the weather is nice and all." He turned around and smiled at everyone, or at least was pretty close to smiling.

"oh yeah man, good idea!" Obi rubbed his eye that wasn't covered.

"I'll.. put a shirt on.." Arthur laughed and looked for something to put on in his closet, muffin in hand. 

The


	3. Questioning

Obi, Polly, Arthur and Ford were all together at Polly and Obi's room. Whatever they were talking about quickly shifted to a game of truth or dare.  
"Polly," said Obi. "Have you ever experimented with girls?" Ford laughed.  
"Oh, you'd be surprised," she said. "It went pretty far, and I can safely say that I like girls very much."  
"Huh," said Obi. "I never knew." Arthur looked at her in confusion. Attracted to the opposite sex? In his family, that was considered absolutely taboo. His sister was like Polly, and once she had told their parents when Arthur was twelve, she got kicked out of the house. Arthur remembered how she got called a freak. But now? They were here, talking about it like it was nothing.  
"What about you, Ford?" Said Polly.  
"Oh no, I've never done anything with a guy." He paused for a moment to catch a breath. "But I think I'd like to." Arthur stared at him. "There's a guy I like."  
"Oooooh," said Obi. "Are you going to tell us who it is?"  
"Nah. It'll be my little secret." Arthur felt a little disappointed. Disappointed? He assured himself that he wasn't curious in the slightest. Ford could like whoever he wanted to. Yet, a nagging sensation wouldn't stop bothering him.  
"Arthur?" Said Polly.  
"I'm straight." Polly nodded.  
"Okay then. Nothing surprising there."  
Ford looked at Arthur, with almost... defeat in his eyes. Arthur looked away.  
Ford and Arthur walked back to their room.  
"Hey," said Ford. "It's you that I like."  
"Really!?" Exclaimed Arthur, as he was opening the door.  
"Nah." Said Ford. "I'm just pulling your leg."  
"Oh. You almost scared me there." Ford laughed sadly.  
"I promise I don't like you." He was lying.

"Its late, shouldn't you be asleep?" Said Ford. Arthur was studying for business.  
"Can't sleep. You don't mind if I keep the lights on, do you?"  
"Nah." Ford came over and looked at Arthur.  
"Holly hell, your hands are shaking." Ford held them.  
"I'm fine," Arthur grumbled. "Just a little tired." Ford switched the lights off.  
"Get some rest, will you?"  
"Fine," said Arthur. "Good night."  
"Good night." When Arthur fell asleep, Ford tucked the blanket.  
"Sleep tight," he smiled before going to bed himself.

Arthur woke up with a scream. Ford jolted.  
"What's wrong?" He said, and hurried to him.  
"No-nothing," Arthur said. "Just a nightmare."  
"Mind telling me what it's about?" Arthur looked at Ford grimly.  
"I had a dream my dad died."

"How about we play some scrabble?" Said Ford. He held a box in his hands as he spoke. Anything to make Arthur feel better.  
"Sure," said Arthur.  
"Hand.. that's a word." Ford arranged the letters on the game.  
"Dice," said Arthur.  
"Effect…"  
"Fergalicious?" Said Arthur. Ford wheezed.  
"What now? That's not a word."  
"Yes it is!" Arthur complained. "As in, the food was very fergalicious".  
"No, I won't let you get points for that. It sounds like a dumb version of delicious."  
"Fine," said Arthur. But it's a word."  
Two hours later, they were still playing scrabble. Eventually Arthur was fed up.  
"We've been playing this game for however long now?" He said. "This is meant to be a half hour game!"  
"You're right. I've had enough of this," said Ford.  
"Let's go to bed now." Arthur switched off the lights.  
"Okay. Good night," said Ford.

"You're already awake?" Asked Arthur. Ford had dead eyes.  
"Bold of you to assume I slept."  
"Uhm.. okay. See you in business."

Ford whispered to Arthur. They sat next to each other this time.  
"Hey, want some nail polish?"  
"Here in business class?" Hissed Arthur.  
"Black or blue?"  
"...Blue," said Arthur. Ford painted his nails for him.

Ford pulled out a chair for Arthur. They were eating together.  
"Thanks," said Arthur.  
"How about we share a drink?"  
"Sure." Ford made the order. And surprisingly, he didn't act cocky with the staff.  
"Huh," said Arthur. "Well what's up with you, mr. Change of heart?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"You weren't flirting with the staff." Ford blushed.  
"Well there's no need for that now."  
"I'm glad you stopped. It was awkward," said Arthur. Suddenly a drunk girl approached Ford and started making flirtatious comments.  
"Hey sexy, you look good." Arthur started at her. He cleared his throat.  
"Actually, he's with me." Ford looked at Arthur with a mixture of fear and pride. The girl noticed that Arthur's nails were painted and scrowled in disgust.  
"Yeah, I'm starting to see it now. Good riddance." She left and Ford laughed.  
"That was great! You handled it so well"  
"Uh-uh, what would you do without me."

On a Friday evening, Arthur sneezed.  
"I think I've got a fever," he said.  
"Oh no, you might want to take a free on Monday." Ford looked at Arthur.  
"Yeah, if I'm still sick then that is."  
"Look at you, being all optimistic!"  
"I try my best," said Arthur. Ford smiled.  
"Lucky for you, I know the perfect cure for all diseases."  
"Oh really? What is it?"  
"A tickle fight!" Hollered Ford, as he attacked Arthur. Ford noticed that Arthur got particularly squeamish when he tickled his stomach, so he kept doing just that.  
"Ahahahha! Stop! No!"  
"Fine, fine," said Ford, and let go.  
"Oh wow, I'm breathless," sighed Arthur. "I don't think I feel any better though."  
"Perhaps you need a second round?" Said Ford, wiggling his fingers in the air. Arthur jolted.  
"No! Get off me!"  
"I'm only joking," Ford laughed.  
"You better be." Ford covered Arthur with a blanket. "Thanks." Ford folded Arthur's laundry. "Did you read that book I gave you?" Said Arthur.  
"Yeah," said Ford. "I started to. It's pretty good."  
"I was thinking," said Arthur, "maybe we could read it together.  
"Good idea." The book was good. The book was a bout a girl that fell in love with a boy that was much more popular than her, and her direct opposite. But by chance they get to know each other and really hit it off.

Arthur tucked Ford's hair behind his ear.  
"Thanks for everything," said Arthur. Ford blushed.  
"It's nothing." Ford got up and made Arthur apple slices that he gave him.

Arthur stood between Ford and the road.  
"You seem down," said Ford. "What's up?"  
"I got some bad news."  
"Yeah?" Ford looked at him anxiously.  
"My father died."  
"That's terrible.. I'm so sorry." Ford hugged Arthur and tucked his head onto his shoulder. Later on they were back in the dorm.  
"I'm mad. There are so many things I wanted to tell him, you know?"  
"Mhmm." Ford was drinking tea sadly.  
"I don't know, I suppose I never really considered that he would just.. not be there one day.  
"I'm sorry, Arthur."  
"It's not like it's your fault. Don't be."  
They stayed up late talking.


	4. We Need to Talk

After school, Ford and Arthur met up to have a chat, without Polly and Obi. Just them.  
"I heard theres going to be a dance soon," said Ford. "Are you coming?" Arthur wasn't the type to go to dances, but perhaps a part of him wanted to impress Ford.  
"Sure. I party all the time," said Arthur Ford raised an eyebrow.  
"Sure. Whatever. I'll be coming too."

Neon lights, loud music, a screaming crowd, and a pulse that everyone at the party could feel. Arthur was sitting in a corner, waiting for Ford. He wasn't the party type after all. Obi and Polly showed up instead. "Hey," said Polly. "What are you doing?"  
"Waiting for Ford."  
"Pfft, it's not a party without him, right?" She smirked and looked at Obi. He smiled back.  
"What's gotten into you two?" Arthur was confused, and didn't like one bit of this.  
"Come on," said Obi. "You like him, don't you?" He spoke loudly so that he could hear his own voice.  
"What?" Said Arthur, and stuttered. "What do you mean?" Obi sighed.  
"Come on, man. You two are always exchanging coy looks. You should see the faces you make when he's around. And you're always blushing when he's near."  
"I'm.." is all that Arthur managed to say. Then Ford came.  
Polly waved at him. "We were just talking about you!"  
"Really? I guess I'm just such a popular guy." He glanced at Arthur, giving him 'that' coy look. Arthur was starting to see it now. Admittedly, Ford could really party. He danced well, and Arthur couldn't help but think that he was.. well.. hot. He looked very hot as his body moved to the rhythm of the music, every movement synchronized to the beat. Arthur felt how warm his face was. Then Ford did the last thing Arthur wanted to do: notice him.  
"What's wrong with you, Arthur?" He gently punched Arthur in the stomach. It fluttered. "Cat's got your tongue, eh?" Arthur just looked at Ford. "Please, Arthur, its getting a little scary now." A slow dance came on. It was one of Ford's favourites.  
"Everybody loves somebody sometime  
Everybody falls in love somehow  
Something in your kiss just told me  
My sometime is now  
Everybody finds somebody someplace  
There's no telling where love may appear  
Something in my heart keeps saying  
My someplace is here."  
Ford winked.  
"How about a dance?" Arthur thought about it for a moment, then nodded.  
Arthur was leading, and put his hand on Ford's shoulder. Gently, Ford put his hand on Arthur's hip. They moved, slowly, but not irrythmically. Ford looked at Arthur's deep brown eyes- and felt like he was falling deep in them. He felt lost but at peace. Arthur, on the other hand, felt nervous.  
"Look at those two fags," someone said. Arthur broke away quickly. Ford gasped.  
"Arthur! Surely you're stronger than that?" He wasn't. Arthur ran away.

When Ford arrived at their room, Arthur was on his bed, crying. Ford quietly entered the room.  
"You can't see me like this," said Arthur. "Go away."  
"I can do that without going away." Ford took off his glasses. Despite himself, Arthur laughed. Ford coughed.  
"So uhm, why'd you run away?" Arthur blinked at him. "Is it because, you know..." Arthur nodded sadly.  
"Yeah. I just dont want to be called that. I'm not a 'fag' or whatever. I just wish.." He paused for a moment. "I wish I could be normal. I wish I was confident about myself, like you." Ford scoffed, and put his arm around Arthur's shoulder.  
"I'm not more confident about myself. I'm just better at hiding it," said Ford. He looked sad. "You know, my father was never really big on talking about our feelings. So I grew up hiding my emotions. It was pretty tedious most of the time." Arthur nodded.  
"I had my mother to talk to. For the most part, my dad was the same." For sighed. "I just wish I had someone to talk to."  
"You have me," said Arthur. Ford looked at him. Arthur looked back. When Ford looked at Arthur's lips, he understood. When they were slowly moving closer to each other, eyes closed, there was a knock on the door. Arthur jerked backwards, and Obi and Polly entered.  
"Hey you two lovebirds, we saw what happened at the party. Then you left, so we thought you would be here," Polly said. Arthur buried his face in his hands in shame. Ford thought about putting a sign on the door saying "Do not disturb." Obi sighed.  
"Too bad the people there are assholes. You step were pretty cute together," said Obi. Face still in hands, Arthur mumbled:  
"No. Shut up. Leave me alone." Ford put his glasses on and adjusted them.  
"He's in denial, you see." Polly laughed.  
"I was too, once. Then I realized that I'm a lesbian. I mean, it's not a hard connection to make. Liking girls and being a lesbian. Not quite the leap, right?"  
Ford wondered for a moment. "I must be bisexual, then. As much as I like girls, theres always been a part of me that was attracted to men." He glanced at Arthur. "But I've never denied this. Ever since high school, I've been proudly bi. Here, have a look." He took his bag. "This pin-" it was the one with the pink and blue gradient that Arthur wondered about. "-is a symbol of bisexuality. Had it ever since I was twelve."  
"I'm just straight," said Obi. "I've never been interested in dating people anyways." Everyone looked at Arthur.  
"What?" He said. "Blinking what, what do you all want? If you think this is some moment you've all been waiting for, the part of the movie where the character reveals something about himself, you're dead wrong." Obi and Polly looked at each other and left. Arthur sobbed, and soon enough he was full on crying again.  
"Arthur, dear, please calm down." He stroked Arthur on the back. Eventually he calmed down, and looked at Ford. His eyes were bloodshot and he was broken.  
"It pains me to see you like this, it really does." Ford put his hand on Arthur's. "But know that I'll be there for you, no matter what." Arthur nodded. Ford hugged him. Arthur broke the hug. They looked at each other for a moment, as if enchanted by each others gazes, and then slowly kissed. Arthur held Ford's head while Ford put his arms around Arthur's waist. Arthur stroked Fords hair. Ford broke the kiss and gasped for air, then kissed him again. Arthur felt a sensation deep inside of him, something that he had never felt before.

It felt like nothing had changed, even though a lot of things had. They went to uni, as usual, attending their classes and occasionally skipping. They atr lunch together, sometimes going out for dinner. But this time they were in love, blessed by each others company.  
They were in their dorm.  
"Ford?" Said Arthur. They were lying down on the floor. Arthur's head rested on Ford's stomach.  
"Yeah?"  
"I love you, a lot," Arthur said. Ford stroked his hair.  
"I love you too." Ford smiled. "I'm lucky to have you, you know."  
It was hard to say if they were dating or not, since they had been like that from the very start. They considered themselves as partners, though. The only people that knew were Polly, Obi, and the assholes that made fun of them at the party. Ford was at terms with himself, but Arthur wasn't.  
"I wish I was normal," said Arthur one day as they were walking from class. Ford looked at him like he was on fire.  
"What do you mean? You seem perfectly normal to me."  
"The fact that we're together," Arthur whispered in a low voice.  
"Ouch?" Said Ford. He was genuinely hurt. "Doesn't make you any less normal, you know." Arthur sighed.  
"It feels wrong."  
"You know it's not." Arthur shook his head.  
"Don't you think that it might be? Have you never suspected it? That after all, what we are is against nature, and wrong?" Ford furrowed his eyebrows.  
"Its not against nature if we cant help it," he said, a bit louder than he needed to. Some of their classmates looked at them and started whispering. Arthur looked at them anxiously. "Its not wrong. It isn't," said Ford, and stormed off into the room.  
Ford didn't speak to Arthur after that.  
Ford was lagging in his bed and reading some book. "Hello," said Arthur, only to get no reply. Arthur say down on his bed. "Are you angry at me?" Ford looked at him, then looked away. "I'll take that as a yes," Arthur sighed.

You should," said Ford, almost robotically.  
"Is there something I can do to make up for it?" Ford looked at Arthur then looked back at his book.  
"You can fuck right off." Arthur sighed. "Look, don't you understand? I can't be with you if you're going to be so self pitying and afraid all the time."  
"What I can't help it?"  
"I couldn't give a damn."  
"Well.." said Arthur. "Looks like I'm eating alone tonight." Ford flipped a page in his book.   
"Looks like," Ford said gravely. There was a profound holowness in his voice. And eat alone he did.

At Donna's Diner, Arthur ordered himself a beer and no food. He had visible tears in his eyes. A woman approached him.   
"Is this seat taken?"   
"No, go ahead," said Arthur, expecting her to take the chair away, but instead she sat down in it.   
" Sir, What's the matter? Something seems to be bothering you. Are you quite alright?"  
"What? Yes. I mean, no."  
"You can tell me, if you want." The woman had an expectant look on her face.  
"Uhm.. that would hardly be appropriate."  
"I'm all ears. Go on."  
Arthur thought about it for a moment. The woman seemed harmless enough.  
"Well, my boyf- girlfriend doesn't seem to like me all that much." The woman raised an eyebrow.  
"Its fine if you have a boyfriend, you know. You don't have to lie to me"  
"Fine.. my boyfriend."  
"Hmm.." the woman thought about it for a moment. "You know what? You're gonna have to be brutally honest with them. Tell them about their concerns. But remember to focus on the good as well."  
"Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Thank you." And the woman disappeared.

"Ford? We need to sort this out." Ford scoffed.  
"You think?"  
"Please, don't be like this. You're so demanding all of the time."  
"Demanding? Me? You're the one who practically made our relationship fall apart."  
"What are you talking about? What relationship?" Ford widened his eyes.  
"Oh, so that's how it is, mr. Change of heart? Just the other day you were talking about how much you loved me."  
"That doesn't mean we're in a relationship."  
"Very responsible of you. Why don't you just... commit?"  
"I don't know, Ford. I genuinely don't know. Even though I love you, a lot, I need time to think this through. This is all so new to me. Think about how I feel." Ford looked at the floor.  
"...maybe you're right... I'm sorry." Just as they looked at each other, Ford kissed Arthur. "As annoying as you are, you're a great kisser." Ford whispered. Arthur kissed him again. "Shut up

**Author's Note:**

> I'll keep working on this!


End file.
